Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) vs Apple M1

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) or Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) features 10 processor cores and has the capability to manage 10 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2023 and belongs to the 2 generation of the Apple M series series.
The Apple M1 features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2020 and belongs to the 1 generation of the Apple M series series.
Apple M2 Group Apple M1
2 Generation 1
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) Name Apple M1
Apple M series Family Apple M series
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) has 10 CPU cores and can calculate 10 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.5 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
Processors with hybrid (big.LITTLE) architecture strike a balance between performance and power efficiency, making them ideal for mobile devices.
The Apple M1 has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.2 GHz.
10 Threads 8
2.8 GHz B-Core Frequency 2.06 GHz
10 CPU Cores 8
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
6x Avalanche Cores A 4x Firestorm
No Hyperthreading No
3.5 GHz A-Core Frequency 3.2 GHz
No Overclocking No
4x Blizzard Cores B 4x Icestorm
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) uses the Apple M2 Pro (16 Core), which has 2048 texture shaders
and 256 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Apple M1 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple M1 uses the Apple M1 (8 Core), which has 1024 texture shaders
and 128 execution units.
2048 Shaders 1024
Q1/2023 Release date Q4/2020
5 nm Technology 5 nm
-- Direct X --
32.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 8.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
256 Execution units 128
1.4 GHz GPU frequency 1.3 GHz
2 Generation 1
-- GPU (Turbo) --
Apple M2 Pro (16 Core) GPU name Apple M1 (8 Core)
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

16 Neural cores @ 15.8 TOPS AI specifications 16 Neural cores @ 11 TOPS
Apple Neural Engine AI hardware Apple Neural Engine
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
Decode VP8 Decode
Decode VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode / Encode
No AV1 No
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode AVC Decode
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 32.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 16.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 68.2 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
LPDDR5-6400 Memory type LPDDR4X-4266
No ECC No
32.0 GB Max. Memory 16.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
204.8 GB/s Bandwidth 68.2 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 45 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 15 W watts.
None TDP down 10 W
None TDP up 20 W
45 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 15 W
100 °C Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) is manufactured using a 5 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Apple M1 is manufactured using a 5 nm process.
Q1/2023 Release date Q4/2020
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization Apple Virtualization Framework
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
5 nm Technology 5 nm
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
-- Release price --
M2 Architecture M1
0 bytes L3-Cache 0 bytes
macOS, iPadOS Operating systems macOS
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number APL 1102
Socket
28.0 MB L2-Cache 16.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks